Thai Mussels

I first got hooked on these little yums when I made Jamie Oliver’s Mussels with Cider & Bacon. They are such a great shellfish, sustainable, cheap, quick to cook and freaking delicious. The natural saltiness deeply flavours the sauce that they are served in. The flavours in these Thai Mussels work so well together, I guarantee you won’t just cook them once!

It’s sometimes tricky to get hold of mussels as they are not always readily available in supermarkets. I asked the twittersphere for some suggestions of companies that sell mussels online and a caterer suggested Fish For Thought. Oh my gosh, when they arrived I was amazed! Much bigger, and fresher, than those I have previously brought from supermarkets. I couldn’t wait to get stuck in to them!

The flavours in these Thai Mussels balance so beautifully together. The creaminess of the coconut milk offsets the heat of the chilli and sits as a perfect pairing for the natural flavours of the mussels.

You can serve these Thai Mussles as a starter for for four people or 2 people as a main dish, an be sure to pair with some warm crusty bread, so that you can mop up all those delicious juices!

First off, de-beard and scrub the outside of the mussels (this will take about 15 mins) and leave to one side. In a large, deep pan, heat a glut of olive oil over a medium high heat and add the chopped chilli, ginger and garlic. Cook for around 5 mins until the ingredients start to soften, stir occasionally.

Add in the wine, lime juice and lemon grass and bring to the boil. When ready, add in the mussels and put a lid on the pan. It will take about 3-4 mins for the mussels to cook. Once they are all open, drain them, but keep the juices.

In a large pan, heat together the juices with the coconut milk, fish sauce and coriander. Stir until the mixture has heated through. Add the mussels into the pan for a couple of minutes, gently stir them so that they are all coated with the Thai sauce.

Spoon the mussels into bowls, and then pour the sauce over the top. Sprinkle the sliced onions and chills over the top and serve with a load of bread.

Recipe Notes

You can use frozen mussels if you can't find fresh, but let them thaw out and inspect for broken shell and any beards that haven't been removed

Betty Davies is the lady behind Slow The Cook Down, and lives in London with her husband and two cats. Slow The Cook Down was born from a true love of whiling away hours in the kitchen on lazy Sundays with a glass of wine in hand. She loves experimenting with different flavours and trying out new techniques, whilst keeping it accessible for her readers.

bdaunter@hotmail.co.uk

Mussels are one of my favorites… only problem is my wife can’t eat them… Luckily for me I can make some this weekend! I’m thinking of using this recipe. Only thing that makes me doubt is the ingredients that for some people might not be what they want (it’s for 55 people …).

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